Seth wheeler and edgar jerome



tait@ tatrs getraut @frn SETH WHEELER AND EDGAR JEROME, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK. Letters Patent Ivo. 66,918, dated July 16, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN DRYING BOXES, 6to., 0F PULP.

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'IO ALL WIIOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it knowrithat we, SETI! WHEELER and EDGAR JEROME, of Albany, State of New Yorlnhave invented a new and useful Modeof Drying Boxes and-other Hollow Articles marde directly from Paper-Pulp and other analogous substances; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part' of this specification.

'.lhe invention whiclrforms the subject of this patent is a drying-frame, which isrigid vertically, but capa y ble of contracting and expandinghorizontally. This frame fits overthe form, upon or within which ahox,v lampshade, or any other hollow articles, and particularly such l as are mentioned in the Letters Patent granted to Edward H. Knight, April 3, 1866, and tous, February 12, 186i', lay be dried after their manufacture from paper-pulp or other anallogcus material has been effected either by atmospheric or mechanical pressure, on the principles set-forth in the above-mentioned patents.

To employ the rigid frame A, in connection with the atmospheric process, it must be constructed with a series of fine holes through it, so that; the suction of an airpuinp or any other pneumatic machine may draw thc pulp upon it, and thus form the desireaiarticle iii a perfect manner. The frame A, as shown in the drawing, is

,of cylindrical form, open at both ends, and splitfrom top to bottom at one point, as indicated at a. It is made of finely reticulated metal or of perforated hard rubber, or of any thin, rigid substance which will answer the purpose desired, viz, toA sustain the box in its proper form while it is drying. The split in thc rigid frame is to permit it to expand before the box is formed, and then to allow it to contract as thc box contracts while drying. The expansibility of the frame is a matter of some moment in the removal ofthe box from it, for, `just in proportion as it is capable of expanding, so may it be contracted, and thus be brought to a condition for ready withdrawal from the box. In the use ofthe rigid frame, in connection with the atmospheric process, the paper-pulp may be formed into a box' either' upon or within the frame upon the principles of operation set forth in the said patent of Knight, and therefore may be dried upon or within the frame. Hollow articles may bc dried upon the rigid frames either prior or subsequent to the removal of the frames from the forms or dies. In any case, the form may be removable from the machine or not as .may be most advantageous. Such mode of drying may be pursued with hollow articles made hy the atmospheric, mechanical, or other pressure process. In the use of the rigid drying frame, in connection with any other than the atmospheric process of making hollow articles, we prefer to use a perforated frame, although an unperforated one may beuscd.

The drawings, gs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, show a former adapted for use in connection with the -frame A, and for making the body of a cylind'rical box by the Knight process. This former consists of a hollow cylinder, B, closed at its upper end by a perforated head, Z1, and at its lower end by a head, b1, provided with a suction pipe, C. The lower head forms a shoulder, e, outside of the circumference of the cylinder' B, as shown. About midway of the length of the cylinder B a depression or channel, c, is formed all round, and the metal forming the base of this channel is perforated so as to form passages into the cylinder. Extending np from this channel to the terminus of the cylinder are a number of narrow channels, d which are cut into the circumference of the cylinder. Around the lower half, and little more, of the cylinder, a sliding-collar, D, is fitted so as to rest on the shoulder c, cover the channel c', and also the lower ends of the channels d d, as shown. Upon the upper end of the cylinder, which is channelled and perforated, as shown atf, a perforated circle-plate, y, ofthe same diameter as the cylinder, is fitted and held in place by means of a hollow or solid stem, c, which enters the head ofthe cylinder, as shown. And around the remaining uncovered portion of thecylinder B, which portion is channelled vertically, as described, the'rigid drying frame A is placed in the manner represented. The former," thus constructed, is arranged in a vat of paper-pulp, so as to have thc rigid frame completely sur rounded,and the lower end of the pipe C is connected to a suction apparatus. All thus arranged, the suction or air-pump is`set in motion, and its effect is to create a suction through the perforated plate g, and through the perforated drying-frame, and along the channels, in such a manner as to cause the pulp to deposit evenly und toa proper thickness upon the surface of the plate, and upon the drying-frame in the form of the cylindrical body and the bottoni of a box, such as shown in fig. 6. The body of thc box thus formed is forced off the former with the drying-frame within the body,- by means of the sliding-collar D. In fig. 3 we have shown the box slipped partly off hy this collar, and in iig. 6 we have shown the box, with the drying-frame within it entirely off the former or die, and as it appears when set for drying.I In iig. 7 the frame is shown in perspective, disconnected freni the box, and in fig. S rhe iinished body ofthe box is shown.

'lhe top of the box is made in substantially the saine manner as the body, upon a die or former and drying-frame corresponding t0 the shape and depth of the top. If conical, many-sided, or any other geometrical form, is to be given to the hollow articles, all that is necessary is to employ dies or fermers and dryingfrauies, which will give the desired form.

We will state here that where boxes or other'hollow articles are produced by the atmospheric process., it is necessary to subject them to a rolling or pressing operation, so as to give them a finished appearance on their inner and outer surfaces; but when made by the pressure process, as patented by us February, 1867, this is not necessary. The pressing or finishing process, however, forms no part of this patent, but is covered by a separate patent of even date with this.

v Having thus described our invention, we will state that we do not confine ourselves to the particular means herein described and referred tofor making boxes and other hollow articles from paper-pulp and analogous substances, as the invention here patented is a mode of drying the articles after they are made. i

What we claim, therefore, as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Drying the hollow articles made directly from the paper-pulp or other analogous substance, upon or within a frame, which is rigid vertically but expansible horizontally, such frame being the one upon which the articles are made.

SETH WHEELER, EDGAR JEROME.

Witnesses:

J. H. BULLocIi, M. V. B. WINHE. 

